Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of six people killed when a two-storey building collapsed following a powerful blast in the historic Plaka district of central Athens. Authorities believe the explosion, which occurred on Friday, was caused by a major gas leak, according to Athens Mayor Haris Doukas.
Documents and belongings found with four of the victims – two men and two women – indicated they were United States citizens, Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reported. The other two victims were reportedly an elderly couple, a British man and a Greek woman, who lived on the building's second floor. Two women were injured in an adjacent building and received medical treatment, the fire department said.
Mayor Doukas stated that the damage extended to the entire street and the street behind the building. "We are talking about an unimaginable catastrophe," he said, adding that two adjoining buildings that were severely damaged might have to be demolished. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated as a precaution.
The Greek daily Kathimerini reported that the four tourists were due to leave their accommodation at about 11:00am local time but failed to board their flight back to the US. The tragedy has shocked both locals and visitors in the popular tourist area.
A group of Plaka residents had alerted the municipality and the managers of the electricity and gas networks about the risks of short circuits or gas leaks in the area a year ago. In a letter published by Kathimerini, the group called for a security exercise to identify any potential shortcomings in the emergency response system. The citizen movement "We Remain Active" also stated on social media that a resident of the street where the explosion occurred had reported a smell of gas for several weeks and had warned the authorities.
A Greek police spokeswoman confirmed on ERT that residents had made the report. However, the nature of the substance and its origin have not yet been determined. Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece's most visited ancient monument, and the incident could have implications for the country's tourism sector.
Source: www.aljazeera.com